§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the public hearing of the test case concerning the free movement of professional persons within the European Community, for which doctors have been made the test profession, will be held; what plans he has to monitor this and to communicate the results to doctors, dentists, pharmacists and opticians in the National Health 33W Service; if his Department will participate; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir K. JosephThe public hearing of the views of the professional and other organisations directly and indirectly concerned with questions of mutual recognition of diplomas for the purpose of achieving freedom of establishment for professional persons was held in Brussels from 22nd to 25th October 1973.
The hearing, which was arranged by the Directorate General for Research, Science and Education of the Commission of the European Communities, and was concerned with doctors, took place under the chairmanship of Professor Ralf Dahrendorf, member of the Commission responsible for research, science and education. Among the organisations participating in the hearing were the Permanent Committee of Doctors of the EEC, the British Medical Association, the General Medical Council and the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom. Observers attended from, amongst other organisations, the EEC Liaison Committee of Dentists, the EEC Chemistry Committee and the Pharmacy Group of the EEC. Her Majesty's Government, in common with Governments of the other eight member States of the Community, sent observers to the hearing.
As the chairman made clear in his opening remarks, the hearing was not part of the Community decision-making machinery and the deliberations in the Council working parties will not be directly affected by it. But the Commission will in due course report the outcome to the other institutions of the Community.